Magnetic control system for railways.



A. H. POX & A. WQLENDBROTH. MAGNETIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1909.

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Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

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Patented 001. 31,1911.

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NETIC GONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22,1909.

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Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

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APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22, 1909.

1,007,192, Patented 001. 31, 19111.

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MAGNETIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 19094 1 ,007,1 92, Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

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lmi/tweweo invented certain-new and useful Improvean armature on the roadway, and the prigeueral. and subordinate combinations and the specific instrumentahtles of which cerwayequi med according to our invention-..

tion thereof. Fig. 4 represents a longitudielusive representplan views of ditierent ara-modification which merges in one instru- UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

AUSTEN H. F X, 01? NEW YORK, AND ARNOLD W. LENDEROTH, OF STAPLETON,

' NEW YORK.

MAGNET IQ CONTROL SYSTEM FOR BAILWAY S To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that we, AUs'rEN H. Fox and Amxonn \V. Lmvnnnormy citizens of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, and at Stapleton, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, respectively, have ments in Magnetic Control Systems for Railways, of which the following is a speci fication.

:This invention relates to means for establishing communication between. a railway vehicle and roadway by means of a magnet carriedby the vehicle and cooperating with maryobject of our invention is to prevent the moving unit from exceeding given rates of speed at certain points on the roadway, such ascurves, bridges, etc., or at any'predeterminedcontrol point.

To thisend our invention consists in the tain preferred embodiments are hereinafter described.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a plan viewof a truck and road- Fig.-- 2 represents a longitudinal section showing one of the (letector-magncts carried by the truck. Fig. 3 represents a cross-scc.

nal section of the-laterally-movable speedrail magnet. Fig. 5 represents a similar view showing a fixed middle magnet adapted for use with the roadway armature a1 rangement of Figs. 7 and 8. Figs. 6-9 inangements whichmay be e1i1plo -ed in the roadway. Fig. lOrepresents a plan view of merit certain functions performed-by a'pl h' rality of instruments in Fig. 1. Fig. 11 represents aplan c a spewl-rail jior this Figs. 12" and 13 represent pivoted n'iagnet employed therein.

\Ve have here shown-and prefer to emp loy our invention in'combination withan automatic stopping or controlling system forming the subjectof separate applications of Austen 'H. Fox, Serial No. 423,139, filed March 25, 1908, and Serial No. 481,780, filed March 6, 1909, although not wholly confining ourselves thereto. The elements of that system as here shown comprise-an electromagnetic detector 10 mounted in duplicate on the two sides of the vehicle over the running rails'll and constantly energized by connection in series with a generator 12, the

connection being by way of the wires 13, 14,15, 16, 17, and 18. Each of these magnets may .have the construction represented in Figs. 2 and 3 which provides for ,a lat- .eral movement of the magnet as a whole within it-s'casingjto bring it over the running rail 11 or over a' by-passing rail 19 shown in Fig. 1, and also a vertical movement of the core-20 of said magnet to open and close a switch 21. For the sake of clearness the switches 21 are shown diagrammatically and detached from their de-' tectors 10 in Fig. 1,'being included in cir cnit with the generator 12 through the wires 22, 23, 18, and also. in circuit with a lamp 24: whose lighting or extinguishment is representative of a variety of well-known operations which may be performed on the vehicle by the action'of the controlling devices, such as setting the air-brakes, closing the engine throttle etc., or-the mere giving of an audibleor visibleeab-signal. Forconvenience we designate these, functions generically as the giving of an indication.

So long as the detector cores 20 are drawn down toward'the magnetic running rails 11 the switches 21-remain closed and the lamp 24 will glow, but when on e of the magnets 10 reaches a magnetic gap in the running rail the core is released and a suitable elelvating force such as thatfurnished bysprings 25 (Fig. 2) raises. the cores and opens the :\vi{ch 21, thereby breaking the circuit of the amp '24.

A 'niagneticjgap in the right-hand running rail is shown in Fig. 6 at 26, representing for example a rail section made of manganese steel, the effect ofwhose presence would be to release the core of the rightband detector magnet and, unless counteracterh-to Specification 0t Letters latent. 'Patgnted 0 1 .31, 1911 a lication m May 22, 1909. Serial No. 497,620.

extinguish the lamp as described. This effect may be regularly and permanently ennoted at the given p'ointor it may be 'counteracted at will in various ways, one of which we will now describe.

In Fig. 1 the detector magnet 10 is sub:

,jected to external controllat will by means ofi laterally in its guides to follow the rail 19 and if the movable section 27 be retracted to leavea gap, the core 20 will be released and the switch 21 opened, but if the movable section 27 be elevated in place, the switch will remain closed and the lam 24, lighted. A counter-weight 32 tends to Keep the magnet 31 over the running rail 11 but is overcome by the magnetic side ull just described. Other modes of controFling the action'of the detector magnet at will may be used and in Fig. 7 for examplethe detectors 10 mayfcomprise fixed magnets 31 of the character shown in Fig. 5 adapted to remain constantly over the running rails and. having only. the vertical movements ;of their cores 2O toopen and close switches 21. These magnets, being fixed as to their lateral position, will-always open their switches 21- whenever a manganese s'te'el section 26 is reached in the running rail, and'if it; is desired-to counteract their effect at will, a middle magnet 10" of the same character (Fig. 5) is employed incon'nection witlrcx middle rail section 33 located opposite to and overlapping the manganese steielsec-' tion 26, said magnet controlling a Witch 21 located in a shunt 34 around the switches 21. Rail 33 contains a movable section 35 similar to the movable section 27 previously described, and, controlled by external con nections 36. When section-35 is alined with the rail 33 the core of magnet 10 will re, main down while the vehicle is passing the control point and lamp 24 will remain light ed by the action of switch 21 in shunting the switches 21, but if section 35 be-displaced, the shunt will be broken and hence no counter-action will take place.

Proceeding now to describe-{he form of. our invention shown in Figs. 19, it may, be, stated that weeniploy a series of a'rma-. tunes on the roadwaycorresponding in their lateral positions to certain maximum' speeds to which it is dSlT6d'.t0 limitthe moving unit, and, preferably located a sufficient disinduce 'tance in advance ,of the curve, bridge,

switch, cross-over,"or,other slow-down point to enable the unit to be automatically ifjit has not been brought downto such speed before passing the control point. On

stopped in advance of the slow-down point move laterally on cross-guides 3 8 'on the truck and includ'ed in' circuit with the generator 12 and the detectors 10, 10 so as to be constantly energized. An arm 39 pivoted to the truck frame at 40 carries at one end a. roller 41 engaging a track-way 42 in the frame of the magnet whereby the arm swings with the travel of the ,ma the opposite endv of said arm is he] between the magnet in a middle position. 44 represents a magnetic armature rail or speed rail mounted in the roadway for cotiperation with magnet 37,-saidfrail having a middle straight portion 45 at one side of the middle line of the roadway and diagonal portions 146' connecting the laterally-warped .portion 45 with the middle line of the roadway.

On the vehicle is placed a suitable speed manifester which we have, shown as a dyhamo 47 driven by a-chain 48 from one of a the truck axles, the wires 49, 50 from said dynamo leading to a solenoid 51 on'thevehicldwhich constitutes a speed-responsive device, the core 52 ofsaid solenoid being drawn inwardly, against the fprce of gravity diof a spring 53, a distance varying according to the vehicle speed which determines the strength' of the dynamo current. The stem of core 52' carriesa' sliding contact-piece 54 interposed between two pairs of brushes 55, 56, the brushes on one side he ing-connectcd by a wire 57 with, one side of the generator 12"a'nd the brushes on the ct, and

centralizing springs 43 which tend to keep other side being connected by two wires 58, i

"59 respectively with two pairs ofcontacts 60, 61 mounted under the-arm 39. The pivot 40 of arm 39 is connecte- .by a. wire 62 with the wire 18 at a point between lamp 24 and the switches 21. Therefore the multiple circuit which includes wires 57, 58, 59, brushes 55, 56, and 'contacts 60, 61, together with the arm'39 and wire 62 constitutes ashunt on the switches 21 so that the lamp 24 will remain illuminated even though the switches 2 l are opened by the detector, magnets 10, provided this shunt circuit is complete. 5 The '4 traction of a rail section 27 isreacl-ied-by I shunt circuitmay existthrough-either of the wires 58 or 59.

f .the wire 5-9 together with .the brushes 56 and: the outer pair of contacts (31 corresponds to.

To understand the operation it may be as- Isumed that the wireob, the brushes 55 and the inner pair of contacts (30 correspond to a certain speed, say .30 nliles an hour, and.

.' a certain lower speed, say miles .an'hour'.

This means that so long as the speed of the vehicle remains below 10-miles an hour the dynamo 47 acting through the solenoid 51 will not furnish suliicient current to break the electrical connection between the'brushes 56. At speeds above 10 miles and less than miles the circuit across the brushes 56 and through the wire 59 is broken but-the circuit through wit-e58 remains intact." At

v cuits "are broken.

speeds above 30 miles'an hour the contact 54; slidesoif both sets of brushes and'both cir- \\'-hile' the illustration provides for only two speeds it will be understood that a greater orsmaller range is ,permitted by having more or less contacts in the series 60, 61 and corresponding wires I n and brushes. 7 On reaching a point where a speed rail 4- is laid,'the attraction-of said rail for the speed magnet 37 will move the 1atter'n1to a lateral position corres wnding to the distance of the straight-line-part of the rail from the middle line of the track and this will bring the arm 39 onto one of the .contacts or (31.

In-Fim 1 the speed rail has automatically selected one of the contacts 61 which is, that of the 10-mile circuit, and therefore, so long as the speed remains below 10 miles an hour and the brushes 56 remain on the'sliding contact 54, a shunt is established around the switches 21 and consequently. the opening of a switch 21 by a detector 10' when a magnetic gap is reached does not extinguish the lamp 524. lf, how-- even-the speed exceeds 10 miles an hour the brushes 56 will be off the sliding contact mentioned. '()n theother hand, .theavehiclep ma'y'reach a-polnt-where a speed of 30 miles m ()4, and when a magnetic gap due to the rethe detector magnet 10 the lamp will be ex- "tinguisl'ied. Instead of the mere extinguishjnent ot' the lamp the function performed might be the slowing or stoppage ot' the vehicle through the use of well-known do vices-in place of..lamp 24, as previously butnot,'greater is permitted, and in advance:

of this point a speed rail 44 will be placed.

\vitliufitsmiddle part in such a lateral posi-.

tion to bring the arm 39 onto one of the i nnei-icontacts (it) which pertain to the 50- n ile"circuit I including brushes 55. .The switches 21'w1ll then be shunted so. long- .brushes 55 remain on the contact 54, but the lamp will be extinguished by the action of the detector 10 if the speed exceeds 30 miles.- H'ence itinay be-said that the speed devices manit'estat-ihnf the speed-ra on the vehicle, whichin this instance include -botlrthe magnet 37- with its selector contacts, and the dynamo or speed inanifester 47 together with the solenoid 51am its armature contacts, areresponsive to each particular roadway'armature44 at a selected rate or over a "given range of speed, and this characteristic inheres' also in the Simplified embodiments of our invention hereins attefd-eseribedin Fig. 6, a speed rail 44 is shown opposite a manganese-steel section 26 in the running rail which has no'appurtenant means for contrdlling' the detectorat' willr-Theh dication will therefore always be given on the vehicle unless'thsped be below a rate corresponding to the. position of the speed rail.

be counteracted atwill by the presence, in the middle rail 33, t of the movable section operated by external connections 36 and controlling amiddle magnet 10 on the truck which operates aswiteh 21 for shunting the etl'ect of't'heswitches 21 ofthe running rail detector magnetslO as previously described.

Except for the laterally-fixed character of the detectors -10"and-the'introduction of the In Fig. 7 the givingof the indications may '85 detector 10*.with its:switchf the arrangements on the truck of-Fig? be tlie'same as in Fig.1. v

IIig. 8 represents in'addition' t-o the track arrangement of Fig. '7 movable magnetic tiller 63 for the speed rail 44, operated byexterna lconnections 64, for eliminating at will'the cont rolling influence of rail 44 when the non-magnetic section 26 is reached by are ormay For that pu diagonal" ilfe rent man-( 1 points nding to the iiiaa'ieach point, and the gnet" operates .directl y to is given an a g mum pernntted arni 39 of theQ-i'n complete "Ishuntfciiicui't" 65 around" the.

switches 21tof5the detectors 10 when the (speed is below the predetermined point: If,

however, the yeliL ,is traveling faster than the speed correspon H pgito the angleof railsection 46 at the particular, controhpoint, theinertia and-fricti "f magnet 37am its mecl anical connections will not be overcome sufii iently to cause the shunt to b e closed relatively abrupt and corresponds to a slow' maximum speed, while in Fig. 11 the slant of 4:6 is more gradual and corresponds to a higher vehicle speed. The same idea in modified form isirepresented in Figs. 12,13, and 14, motion in a vertical plane being substituted for the horizontal motionof Fig.

10. In this case the rail sections 4A, 44?, 44

" are parallel with the running rails 11 and are male-of varying lengths at the several control pointsto correspond with the different maximum speeds, and magnet 37 is mounted on horizontal trunnions 66 and normally turned at an angle as shown'in Fig. 14 by the coaction of spring brushes 67 with an elliptical or cam-shaped hub 68. In

. this position the brushes rest on insulating blocks 69 at the ends, of the minor axis of the hub, but the attraction ofa middle railsection .44, 44", CD44", sufficiently long-continued, will move the magnet 37"-tow ard a .vertical position and the metallic body of thehub 68 then acts "as a connector between the brushes 67 to close the shunt 65 around the switches 21 and prevent the giving of the indication. The sum of the moment of in-v ertia and. the.fric'tion of the magnet 37*? being substantially a constant, thetime required to overcome it with the constant force represented by the pull of the magnet acting from a constantinitial' distance, and'thus to bring about the shunting action, will also bea constant, and unless. equaled or exceeded by a proper relation between the speed of the vehicle andf-thelengthof the particular speed-rail .section ,'f the shunting;

7 tem, the combination with the roadway and will fail to take place.

Various other modifications may be made within the scope of our invention.

We claim,- 4 1. In a railwayvehicle controlling system, the combination with the'roadway and vehicle, of an armature on the roadway, and

means on the vehicle controlled by the lat ters speed and including an electro-mag; netic dev1cewh1ch cooperates with said armature, for causing 'a speed-selective recsponse-of said means to the armature.

2. In a railway-vehicle controlling system,'the combination with the roadway and vehicle, of a series of differentiated armature-sections on the roadway, and a magnetstructiire on the vehicle differently respon-- sive to the several armature-sections.

3. Ina railway-vehicle controlling sys. tem', the combination with the roadway and vehicle, of'a series of difl'erentiat'ed armatures on the roadway, and means including a movable magnet whose posture on the vehicle-is afi'ected differently by the several armatures, for giving an indication when certain predetermined speeds are exceeded. 4. The combination with a railway, of armattire-sections' of -,diiferent lengths located at a series of control points onsaidrailwa'y and distinct from the runhing-rail structure thereof. '5; In a railway-vehicle controlling system, the combination with the roadway and vehicle, oi a movable magnet on the vehicle, and a series of armatures on the roadway adapted to operate said-magnet and havin 'respectively different lengths. 6. a railway-vehicle controllingsystern, the combination with the roadway and vehicle, of an armature onthe roadway, and a magnet pivoted'to turn on the vehicle in a substant ally vertical lane, said magnet being biased toward a orizontal position and adapted to be attracted by said armature toward a vertical osition.

7. In a railway-vehicle controlling syst'em,lthe combination with the roadway and vehicle, of a" series of-roadway armature sections of diiferent lengths corresponding to difi'erent vehicle speeds, amagnet pivoted to turn on the vehicle in a vertical plane in response to itsattraotion for the armaturesections, and'means controlled by said magnet for performing a function on the vehicle.

8. In a railway-vehicle controlling system, the combination with the roadway and vehicle, of a"roadway armature continuous between control points, a detector magneton the car cotiperating with said" armature and adapted, when released, to produce-an indication on the vehicle" and co-acting devices on the vehicle andlroadway for preventing the indication at vehiclespeeds below a predetermined maximum.

9.- In a railway-vehicle controlling sysvehicle, of means for. establishing continuous mag'netic attraction between the vehicle and roadway-except at control points, means for giving an indication on the vehicle by efiective the interruption of said attraction, a series of armature-sections onthe roadway, and means on-the'vehicle controlled by the vehicle speed and including anelectro-magnetic device which cooperates with said ara switch controlledby said detector. magnet I means for shunting said switch in passpoints at vehicle speeds mg said control be ow a predetermmed maximum,

11.- In a railway-vehicle controlling system, the combination with the roadwa and vehicle, of an armature rail substantial y coextensivewith the roadway and magnetically differentiated at control points, a magnet on the vehicle cotiperatingvqith said rail, an indicating circuit having a switch controlled by said magnet, a shunt circuit around said switch, a series of armature sections located on the roadway at the con trol points and having different durations of magnetic efie'ct at a given vehicle speed,

and a movable magnet on the vehicle controlled by said armature sections and controlling the shunt circuit.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20 day of May 1909-.

AUSTEN H.. FOX. ARNOLD W. LENDEROTH. Witnesses:

EnwAm) E. BLACK,

R. M. PIERSON. 

